Are you open for outreach operations?
Last Wednesday (at the second of this month’s free training/webinar sessions), we talked about how a meeting, or any charity, should be open to others. Especially open to those around them who might want to find them and join or support them. We also talked about how finding you isn’t enough…
The questions we pondered I thought were worth copying here. They can be useful to consider no matter the size of your group or organisation.
Identifying where you are...
Are you visible to others around you? Is the building, ‘that place I do yoga‘, or ‘I do yoga at the Quaker Meeting House’? With that aspect – consider the following questions. The questions might be applied to external flows or internal flows.
- What information about your organisation flows to those around you?
- Who controls that information?
- What is your deepest struggle in letting others know about who you are and what you do as an organisation?
- What works well in letting people know? Why does that work?
I always end a consideration set of questions by suggesting you write down any tasks, ideas, thoughts you want to capture. Even better if you thought, ‘I should xxxx’ add it to your to-do list or stop and do it now!
Can you be found?
I love visiting other meeting houses, and am a fairly determined Quaker who wants to attend MfW on a Sunday. So, when it takes me fifteen minutes and three different internet searches to find a specific meeting house… I don’t feel that they are ready and open for newcomers to appear.
When Yearly Meeting Gathering was held in Exeter, it was pointed out that the various maps and brochures listing places of worship in Exeter didn’t include Quakers. We were quickly informed that this had been notified and the matter would be rectified. It’s always worth asking someone outside look for you!
The Outreach Audit we offered for signing up to the two webinars is available free in our Resource Library (you need to set up a free account – so we can notify you if we update – you don’t have to hear from us otherwise), gives a list of things to consider including ‘have you checked your google maps listing’?
Why not ask someone who doesn’t know your building to look for it and find it. Ask visitors how easy it was to find too!
What do you do to be visible?
Now is a great time to consider joining in with Quaker Week (28th Sept – 6th Oct). There are free resources available for you at Quaker.org.uk.
Discovering Quakers joined with MBS to present Wednesday’s session. They have a website aimed at people interested in discovering and finding out more about Quakers. As well as running weekly zoom meetings for newcomers and enquirers, and you can sign up and they’ll forward any enquirers directly to you.
Wendrie Heywood
MBS Founder
